you see president obama greeting foreign leaders. he shook the hand of cuban president raul castro. let's go to terry moran first. the stadium emptying out a bit. quite a morning, terry. >> reporter: good morning, george. a historic event for our time. it was an unprecedented gathering of the most powerful people in the world. princes, presidents, heads of state gathered here today with tens of thousands of ordinary south africans who braved the cold, drenching rain to pay tribute to the man who freed them and set an unforgettable example for the rest of the world. ♪ this morning, the world came to south africa, braving the pouring rain to celebrate the man who changed history. >> we will reflect on the life of a man two took the pain of millions of south africans. >> reporter: it was the largest gathering of world leaders ever. over 100 heads of state, joining nelson mandela's family and thousands of south africans. >> his struggle was your struggle. his triumph was your triumph. your dignity and your hope found expression in his life. and your freedom, your democracy, is his che